“It may have looked like we made some changes on our qualifying lap, but we didn’t really,” Dixon said. “I think we were a little surprised with the understeer in the car, to be honest. Turn 3 I was flat and then we’d struggle on the exit of Turn 1. The car bottomed out somewhat there in the first lap, so I’m not sure what happened. It is what it is though and the PNC Bank car feels comfortable. It’s a long race tomorrow and we’ll have to deal with traffic and try and get to the front.”

The only time he did qualify in the Top 10 was in 2017. Driving the NTT Data car for Chip Ganassi, he started in the ninth position. He ended up finishing the race in the sixth position.

Dixon had his worst qualifying position in 2016 when he qualified 19th. Yet, despite the 22-car field, he finished the race in the sixth position.

He also qualified 11th in 2015, qualified 15th in 2014 and qualified 17th in 2013. In the six career races, he has an average start in the 14th position.

Yet, he has an average finish of 5.4. His lone won at the track came in 2013 when he won the Pocono IndyCar 400.

The 13th qualifying position for Sunday’s start was his worst since May. He qualified 18th at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. Dixon has had one other race, where he did not qualify in the Top 10, as he started 17th in Phoenix in the second race of the season.

Dixon has three wins this season, along with six podiums. He finished fifth at Mid-Ohio at the end of July, but won the Toronto race on July 15th.

Besides Dixon winning the inaugural event, Juan Pablo Montoya won in 2014 and Ryan Hunter-Reay won the event in 2015. Will Power, who is on the pole for Sunday’s event, won the past two events at the track.